


D'ici à l'éternité

by aimeeandjaguar



Category: Mädchen in Uniform | Girls in Uniform (1958)
Genre: Boarding School, F/F, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ Themes, POV Female Character, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25971796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimeeandjaguar/pseuds/aimeeandjaguar
Summary: Miss von Bernburg finds herself really fond of Manuela, what should she do?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	D'ici à l'éternité

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, this is my first work in English, so I'm a little anxious about posting it. If you see any mistakes, feel free to correct me!

No, she is completely mispronouncing her lines! The girl is certainly talented, she just needs a skilled, guiding hand. Elisabeth tried to justify her interest in Manuela’s role by saying to herself that, as a literature teacher, she could not ignore Shakespeare. To the woman’s surprise, recently she started to unconsciously single out Meinhardis among the rest: her eyes searched for the girl as she was entering the room, she smiled when their eyes met. However, Elisabeth was too busy to think about it now.  
As she was passing by the rehearsal room, she heard Manuela’s voice reciting the scene before the kiss. Shaking her head, Elisabeth paused to listen till the end.  
A few minutes later, the rehearsal ended and the girls hurried to the next lesson. Manuela, put to the shame by madame Aubert for misinterpretation of the role, trailed with her head down. Elisabeth couldn’t bear to see her favorite one suffering, so she invited the girl to her office, her voice command.  
All determination was suddenly gone when they left alone. Manuela’s presence had a very strange effect on Elisabeth. However, she forced herself to focus on the play.  
«Don’t forget, Romeo is a nobleman», – she instructed. Manuela recites her lines absolutely expressionless. Naturally, Elisabeth doesn’t believe a word. «That’s not Romeo. Romeo is a young man, in love!». On the next attempt the girl sounds pretty convincing: «Thus from my lips, by yours my sin is…» – she pauses and steps a bit closer, – «my sin is purged».  
Then the girl closes her eyes and reaches for the woman, kissing her, or rather, barely touching her lips. A cascade of thoughts runs through Elisabeth’s mind: «What is she doing? This is unacceptable, but… so pleasing… Uh, we really mustn’t…». For a fraction of a second she closed her eyes blissfully. Then, coming round, Elisabeth pulled away and looked at Manuela perplexedly. Suddenly the girl embraces the teacher and hides her face in the curve of her neck. Elisabeth unconsciously wraps her arms around Manuela. An incomprehensible sense of calm and safety covers both of them. A few moments later the teacher realizes what are they doing and softly tries to move away. Remembering they were rehearsing a role, she makes some comments while the other girls are entering the class.  
«Calm down, silly, you have to start a lesson». Elisabeth lets out a barely noticeable sigh, trying to get rid of distracting thoughts of Manuela and to focus on work. Despite her best efforts, the lesson was a blur, she was automatically telling something, thinking of something else entirely, or rather, someone else.  
***  
Sunday has always been Elisabeth's favorite day. Without doubt, she really loved her students, but after a hard week at school, it's always nice to unwind by walking around the city.  
Today Elisabeth decided to take a walk in one of Potsdam's parks to enjoy nature and tranquility. Choosing the most remote bench, miss von Bernburg sat down and tried to focus on a book but the most unsolicited thoughts were coming to her mind. No matter how hard Elizabeth tried to push them away, she couldn't stop thinking about that hapless kiss.  
The most terrible thing, as it seemed to her, was that she didn't blame herself at all for what she had done, she would've done it again instead. Here in the park Elisabeth had to admit what she had been denying for so long – she had feelings for Manuela von Meinhardis  
The woman felt wrong because of her fondness, because she’s never been attracted to men. She even used to think she was unable to love someone at all, until Manuela came into her life, turning everything upside down and ruining her familiar world.  
At each lesson Elisabeth felt Manuela’s attentive and devoted gaze on herself, and after that kiss she had no doubt the girl returns her feelings. «Even if it is so, it doesn’t mean anything, and it doesn’t give me the right to show my feelings for her», – miss von Bernburg told herself.  
After sitting in the park for several hours, Elisabeth discovered it was late and it was time to return to boarding school. The woman promised herself not to do anything that can give Manuela a false hope (she is such a sensitive girl, God knows what might happen!).  
As she entered the school and came up the stairs, Elisabeth wanted to go to her room but couldn’t resist peering the girls dormitory. Opening the door slightly, the woman saw everyone sleeping quietly, everyone except her – soft sobs were coming from Manuela’s bed. Elisabeth hailed her quietly. Stunned be the sudden appearance of her object of adoration, the girl tried to calm down and run out into a corridor where she found herself face to face with the teacher.  
– Meinhardis, what is the matter? – the woman asked trying to sound firm,  
– Oh, miss von Bernburg, you see, my mother died a year ago today, and I miss her terribly, so I couldn’t help… – the girl answered ruefully, trying to fight back the tears.  
«Poor darling», – thought Elisabeth, who still couldn’t bear to see her favorite suffering.  
– Manuela, I do understand what you are going through, – taking the girl by the shoulders and looking into her eyes Elisabeth began, – I lost my mother early myself. But, believe me, over the years the pain subsides, leaving only a light sadness. Soon you will stop feeling your mother’s absence so acutely.  
– You… You are so kind to me, miss von Bernburg, – says Manuela seeming somewhat calm, – but why? You don’t have to…  
In confusion Elisabeth could only utter: «Now you need someone to take care of you».  
To smooth over the awkwardness of the situation, the woman pulled the girl close timidly and sighed with relief when she wrapped her arms around her waist. «From here to eternity, things will be different», – Elisabeth thought.


End file.
